Computer Forensics: Digital Media Exploitation

Within the field of digital forensics there are various types of electronic devices that can be used to extract valuable data and information. Most commonly digital forensic techniques are used on common devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, hard drives and mobile devices. However, digital evidence can be extracted from a multitude of electronic devices such as smart home technology, fitness trackers, cameras, vehicle technologies and much more.

The evidence found on electronic devices can take many forms. Evidence commonly consists of image files, documents, videos, network data, user account data, browser data, email data and much more. Digital forensics software such as Autopsy, FTK Imager and WireShark can be used to extract a multitude of data from electronic devices. This course will cover digital media exploitation which is the process of extracting valuable metadata from individual files such as an image or PDF document.

Metadata is a term that describes data that is embedded into various file types such as the one’s previously described. Metadata is used to describe various bits of information associated with a file such as the author, date of creation, file type, file size, location of creation, frame rate, geotags and much more. All of this data can be extracted and analyzed for investigative purposes to better understand the file, who created it, its purpose and amplifying information relevant to a case.